Travis Buck

Travis Buck
Houston Astros – No. --
Outfielder
Born: November 18, 1983 (1983-11-18) Richland, Washington
Bats: Left	Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 2, 2007 for the Oakland Athletics
Career statistics (through 2011)
Batting average	.246
Home runs	20
Runs batted in	89
Teams
Oakland Athletics (2007–2010) Cleveland Indians (2011) Houston Astros (2012-present)

Travis George Buck (born November 18, 1983, in Richland, Washington) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball.

College career

Buck attended Richland High School before enrolling at Arizona State University. He played college baseball for the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team from 2003-2005. He is eighth in the ASU all-time hits category with 272, and his 110 hits in 2005 are the ninth-most in Sun Devils history. In 2004 and 2005, he was selected as a Pac-10 Conference All-Star outfielder, and in 2004 he helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in the World University Baseball Championship, finishing second on Team USA hitting .412 (28-for-68) with two doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI. He won the Pac-10 Player-of-the-week award in consecutive weeks in 2004, a feat that was not repeated by a Sun Devil until Ike Davis in 2007.

Professional career

Buck playing for the Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliates of the Oakland Athletics, in 2009.

Medal record
Men’s baseball
Competitor for United States
World University Championship
Gold	2004 Tainan	Team

He was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 23rd round (700th overall) in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft, but opted not to sign with the Mariners so that he could attend Arizona State University. He was later drafted by the Athletics as the 36th overall selection of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft.

In 2006, Buck split time between High A (the Stockton Ports) and Double-A (the Midland RockHounds). He finished the year hitting .302 for Midland with four home runs in 212 at-bats. He was selected as an outfielder for the United States in the All-Star Futures Game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Prior to 2007, Buck was rated as the top prospect in the Oakland organization and the #50 prospect in Major League Baseball by Baseball America. He was in the Opening Day lineup for Oakland due to an injury to first baseman Dan Johnson, which prompted manager Bob Geren to shift Nick Swisher to first base and tab Buck as the starting right fielder. Buck went 1-3 in the game, with his first major league hit being a double off Mariners starting pitcher Félix Hernández.

Buck was the opening day right fielder for the Athletics in 2008, but spent much of the season at Triple-A Sacramento, before being recalled in September.

On December 2, 2010, Buck was non-tendered by the Athletics making him a free agent.

On December 20, 2010 Travis Buck signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians. He made their 2011 opening day roster, but was soon sent down to the AAA Columbus Clippers when Grady Sizemore was activated from the disabled list. However, when Sizemore returned to the disabled list in mid-May, Buck was recalled.

Buck was designated for assignment on July 28. After the 2011 season, he elected for free agency.

The Houston Astros signed Buck to a minor league contract on November 9, 2011.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)